Binding
by HobbitofRavenclaw
Summary: Third part of Bound. Technically it would be a prequel. Ambrose must hid his children from the witch


**Binding**

_Part three. Part 1 being Bound, Part 2 Unbound_

_Also Emrys belongs to G**litchrox**_

* * *

I sat in the stiff backed chair of the council room watching Ambrose pace nervously. My wife, the beauty of the O.Z. sat nearby with her feet on a chair. Already her stomach pushed out where the baby grew. A girl the viewers said, doubtless she will be as lovely as her mother. I could be perfectly content if only I was sure it was mine. it was no secret the "Lavender princess" Had been infatuated with the Advisor from a young age.

My wife turned one delicate hand out and caught the tall brunette. "Ambrose my dear old friend." It sickened me how the pair smiled at their inside Joke. Ambrose cant be any older than me, and I was a spring chicken at 24.

"Ambrose, I have never seen you worked up! What is it dear friend?"she breathed nervously. Ambrose opened his mouth but it was Leona, Ambrose s wife who answered.

"Majesty we have reason to believe our children are in mortal danger."

I looked over to her twins Emrys and his slightly younger sister Azkadee. They were huddled under their mothers cloth of gold coat as though ti we rent the finest material in the O.Z Both were fast asleep. I didn't care much for either of them, but the lavender eyes of my wife filled with tears.

"Who would ever want to harm sweet Emmy or dearest Az?"

Ambrose bent over his 3 year olds and pulled the cloak more securely over the pair, as though hiding them under it would keep them safe.

"There is an ancient evil in finaqua. I feel its presence when I am evil that wishes to...to command the O.Z. in utter and permanent darkness. she seeks a vessel. a body to control and posses. To bend to her will. Azkadee and Emrys would suit her needs. "

"Then we will fight her. I will prepare the troops. We will root out this evil-" The reining Monarch said. But Ambrose shook his head.

"You cannot defeat her, not with a thousand Armies"

"Then you must flee." She exclaimed and placed her gentle hands across his long fingers."Flee with your family my dearest Ambrose. I have a cousin in Oogaboo. He will keep you safe."

Ambrose knelt in front of her and I wanted to swat his grubby hands from her.

"Its much too dangerous to take them both." Leona knelt beside her husband. "Majesty I beg your indulgence- and your pardon for asking this boon. "

The lavender eyed monarch of the O.Z lifted the groveling pair to their feet and smiled at the brown eyed woman. "Leona, you have been my lady in waiting all my life. And my most constant companion. Anything you have to ask, you ask as my friend. And I could never deny you."

I swirled my scotch in boredom. _Get to the point!_ with any luck I could get rid of that insufferable Ambrose.

"We do hate to burden you with this. But if your majesty would accept Lea and I would be eternally grateful."

What a windbag this guy was.

"As we cannot bring both children across, we were hoping you could raise one of them as your own, alongside your own child. I promise you whenever she needs help her elder sibling will be there to care for her. We can bind their magic so they will be able to protect each other."

"We will take Azkadee." I blurted out suddenly. Ambrose would certainly go with his son, finally leaving my wife alone. And Leona would stay behind

The others turned to look at me as though they had forgotten I exsisted. "We could say she had been sickly. and that's why we had never presented her. Everyone within the castle has seen Azkadee following Leona as she accompanied the queen." I said quickly. Anything to get rid of Ambrose. "The people will look on it as the second coming of Ozma and Dorothy." I added, appealing to the ridiculous fantasies of my wifes silly little fairy tales.

"Two little princesses." She breathed dreamily. In a trice I was the center of a group hug from the last group I would want hugging me all at once. Leona fell to her knees and hugged me around the midriff. My wife slipped her arms around my chest as Ambrose, who I felt was always too affectionate to consider a real man, hugged my head. Even the twins crawled out of their cloak to hug "Uncle Amaho" on the legs. Finally (and thank God) they released me. Ambrose pulled away first and sighed.

"Alright. We have much to do and, I fear not a lot of time to get it done."

Leona picked up Azkadee and held her close. "No matter what happens, Mommy loves you baby."

" She whispered Ambrose gathered Emrys into his arms. "Well need to put a memory block on her, the less Az can remember about us the safer she will be."

My wife nodded with tears in her eyes, but I was beside myself. Finally to be rid of Ambrose and his mini-me son!

But when the day finally came, 2 weeks later, it was Leona who rode off with at evening, the same day we presented our recovered daughter, Azkadellia, Leona donned a peasants traveling cloak and wrapped young Emrys into its folds. She mounted Ambrose's coal black stallion, the fastest horse in all of the O.Z. With one last kiss to her husband she rode off with barely a glimpse backward.

My wife cried in the arms of her advisor, but more because theirs was a shared loss. Azkadelia was fast asleep, the binding of her magic to her little sisters and the memory block had worn the little brat out. I slipped out the first chance I got and rode my own fast mount to Finaqua where my true queen lived.

"Majesty, everything is in order. Ambrose and Leona are separated, as are Azkadee and Emrys." I reported. "She will be raised as a princess, poised to take the throne in time."

"Excellent. You did well." The true queen smiled in return.

"I only ask one thing, My liege. When the time comes and you reclaim the O.Z. I beg of you not to let any harm come to my child."

The witch's laugh echoed around the cave.


End file.
